"Multi-Region" Mega Drive

Version 2.0

Matthew Neilson June 13, 2004

Contents

1 Introduction 2 Adding Switches to your Mega Drive 2.1 What you Need. 2.2 Opening up your Mega Drive. 2.3 How the Switches Work. 2.4 Building the Switches. 2.4.1 Language Switch. 2.4.2 50Hz / 60Hz Switch. 2.5 Fitting the Switches. 2.6 Widening the Cartridge Slot. 2.7 Congratulations!. 15
3 Frequently Asked Questions Why do I need to make my Mega Drive multi-region?. Why are some Mega Drive games locked out?. How does the lock-out system work?. What is a bridge adapter, how does it work, and why doesnt it allow me to play all import games? What is a `Universal Adapter'?. What about the Game Genie / Pro Action Replay?. Whats the big deal with 50Hz PAL?. Why is my picture black and white?. Why am I experiencing slowdown in 60Hz NTSC mode?. Is there any way to minimise (or, even better, eliminate) slowdown?. Can I play locked out European games in 60Hz NTSC mode?. I plugged one of my English games into a Japanese Mega Drive, and it now plays in Japanese - why? Which games use lock-out technology?. Is it true that widening the cartridge slot makes my console multi-region?. I heard that the very rst run of Mega Drive consoles had no region lockout. Is this true?. Is there any way to make my Mega Drive change its region automatically?. Is there such a thing as a `lock-out chip'?. What about the licensing screen which appears upon powering up the console?. My modied Mega Drive / Genesis has slightly dierent jumper connections to those outlined in the guide, yet it still works. Why?.
c 2002-2004 Matthew Neilson (matt@gneilson.plus.com) A Constructed using TEXShop, the LTEX frontend for Mac OS X

Version 2.20

Why are the printed traces on my Genesis dierent from the "US" setting shown in the guide?. On my board, JP1 and JP2 are in a dierent area from JP3 and JP4. How do I modify this console? My board has a capacitor across one of the four jumpers. How do I proceed?. Does modifying my console allow me to play any Sega/Mega CD game?. Are there any guides for modifying a Mega Drive / Genesis `mark 2', a Nomad, or a Genesis 3?. 4 Recommended Japanese Import Games 5 Credits 6 Disclaimer

Introduction

By denition, an import is something which has been brought in from a foreign country. In gaming terms, the world is split into three main territories: Europe, America and Japan. If you want to guarantee success with playing import Mega Drive games, you have three options 1. Buy a console from each region (takes up lots of space, but if youre a collector this may be the ideal solution). 2. Buy a universal pass-through adapter which allows you to select a specic region (note that a simple bridge adapter will not suce - you actually require an adapter with region switches). 3. Modify your console by building region-switches, making it multi-region (easily achieved on a Mega Drive 1, and also possible on a Mega Drive 2; this is my preferred option due to its neatness - once modied, your Mega Drive can play anything!). Any of the above will save you from worrying about compatibility issues when buying import games. This document is intended to give you detailed step-by-step instructions for the latter option, namely modifying your Mega Drive / Genesis model 1 console such that it can play import games. The console used to demonstrate this procedure is a European Mega Drive, although this guide is 100% compatible with any region of Mega Drive / Genesis. Owners of a PAL Mega Drive are strongly advised to modify their console for 60Hz gameplay - games will run 20% faster (that is, at their intended speed), AND full-screen (no more crushed graphics!). People seem to get very apprehensive when it comes to opening up their Mega Drive dont be, the modication is incredibly simple and the benets of 60Hz gameplay are remarkable. Before attempting anything on your console, you should rst read through the entire guide and make sure that you are absolutely clear of what needs to be done. If you have any doubts, please feel free to Email me - Ill be happy to help you, and any input will help improve this guide. Similarly, if you notice any typos, please Email me and I will update the guide.

If your Mega Drive has a volume control and a headphone jack, it is a "Model 1" Mega Drive.
Figure 2.3: The inside of a Mega Drive once its shielding had been removed.

JP1 JP2 JP3 JP4

Figure 2.4: A magnication of the section of the board
in Figure 2.3 containing the necessary jumper switches.

Figure 2.5:

The diagram corresponding to Figure 2.4, where each end of the four jumpers has been labeled.
the middle of the jumpers (the dotted line in the Figure 2.5 represents the area you need to cut). Youll need to cut quite far into the board - but dont over do it! Those of you with access to a multimeter may use this to determine whether or not you have cut suciently deep. Throughout the Mega Drives life, there were many dierent circuit board revisions. In some versions, the jumpers may be found at a dierent part of the board from the one shown above; in others, the same jumpers may be laid out in a dierent order. As such, your Mega Drives circuit board may look slightly dierent from the one shown in this guide. Dont let that worry you. You should nd that JP1 and JP2 are both located in the same part of the board, with JP3 and JP4 also being paired together. You can deduce
the orientation of each jumper by looking at its printed label (e.g. "JP1" goes from left to right, which tells you which way round my diagrams are in relation to your circuit board).

How the Switches Work

JP1 and JP2 control the language of your machine. Connecting a piece of wire between the points labeled "2" and "3" will set your console to "Japanese mode" (Figure 2.6), while connecting "3" and "4" will put you in "English mode" (Figure 2.7). Similarly, JP3 and JP4 control the output of the console. Connect a piece of wire between points "5" and "8" for 60Hz NTSC output (Figure 2.8), and between "5" and "6" for 50Hz PAL output (Figure 2.9).

JP1 JP2

JP3 JP4

Figure 2.6: Japanese.

Figure 2.7: English.

Figure 2.8: 60Hz NTSC.

Figure 2.9: 50Hz PAL.

Building the Switches

In the following diagrams, the red dashed lines represent wires and each three-pronged hub at the bottom represents a switch. To make things clearer, please refer to sections 2.4.1 and 2.4.2, respectively.

Japanese

English

60Hz (NTSC)

50Hz (PAL)
Figure 2.10: Language Switch.
Figure 2.11: Frequency Switch.

Language Switch

Take a SPDT switch and a piece of wire. Solder one end of the wire to point "3" and the other to the middle connection of the switch. Now take another piece of wire and solder one end to point "2" and the other to the left connection of the switch. Finally take another piece of wire and solder one end to point "4" and the

other to the right connection of the switch, giving something which looks similar to Figure 2.10. Voila - you have your language switch! 2.4.2 50Hz / 60Hz Switch
Take another SPDT switch and a piece of wire. Solder one end of the wire to point "5" and the other to the middle connection of the switch. Now take another piece of wire and solder one end to point "6" and the other to the left connection of the switch. Take another piece of wire and solder one end to point "8" and the other to the right connection of the switch, as in Figure 2.11. Now you have a 50Hz/60Hz switch. It is worth noting here that if you are modifying a PAL console, the 60Hz output given by this switch is not true NTSC (for more information on this, see the FAQs in Section 3). All this means is that you will need to use an RGB SCART lead in order to play your games in colour (in 60Hz mode).2 This works the other way as well - if its an NTSC system that you are modifying, you will need an RGB SCART for games to play in colour while in 50Hz mode.

Fitting the Switches

This part is entirely your choice. You can see what I did, and personally I cant think of a better place to t the switches. By popular demand, the following describes exactly how I went about tting switches to the Mega Drive pictured above: I used two miniature SPDT [Single Pole, Double Throw] mounting slide switches. Most people use SPDT toggle switches, but I tend to prefer the overall look of the slide switches used here (they dont stick out much, making them rather neat and unobtrusive). To actually t one of the switches, I drilled a small hole on the side of my Mega Drive [after hours of measuring/debating], making sure that the hole would be smaller than the head of the switch. I then led away, constantly checking to see whether or not the switch would comfortably slide from one position to the other. Once I had a good, neat (and straight) t, I marked the position of the xing holes and drilled a tiny hole through each of the aforementioned markings. Its then just a matter of screwing the switch into place. The second switch is tted in exactly the same way, but be sure to measure everything out relative to the rst switch if you want them to be neatly aligned. You might want to put masking tape over the area of casing you intend to drill through before marking/drilling, as this can help prevent the drill from slipping.

Failure to use an RGB SCART lead will result in the game playing in black and white. Apparently, some television sets are able to cope with the signal that the Mega Drive outputs when it is being played in the wrong frequency setting, but in most cases you will need an RGB SCART to play the game in colour.
Widening the Cartridge Slot
Ahhh. you thought you were nished - didnt you? Well, youre not - theres still one last thing to do. It turns out that Japanese Mega Drive cartridges are wider than non-Japanese Mega Drive cartridges. Here, Ive used Thunder Force IV 3 as an example:
Notice how the European cart has those little notches at either side (at the back) whereas the Japanese cart is curved. Well, you guessed it, those sleek Japanese carts just dont t into non-Japanese Mega Drives. The reason is that Sega cunningly changed the shape of the Euro/US carts and the shape of the cartridge slot on the console, so as to prevent people importing from Japan. This is easily rectied by simply dismantling the cartridge slot on the Mega Drive and ling down the little notches on each side. Once you have your console open, youll see some screws holding the cartridge mechanism together - unscrew them. Now look for the protruding "corners" at either side of the slot, and take them o. I used a fret-saw to get rid of the majority of the edge, and then led the rest until a Japanese cart would t. Make sure you get a good clean t, with plenty of space for a cart to t in without any scratches - after all, once everythings back together the cart slot will look almost exactly the same as it did before (from the outside, at least). Sunsoft 4 cartridges are probably the best to use for testing the width of the slot, as they are the widest of all Japanese Mega Drive carts. Then screw everything back together, and your Mega Drive will be able to accept Japanese games! Japanese systems also have trouble accepting non-Japanese cartridges due to a cartridge lock that holds the game in the cart slot while the system is switched on. You see that little slot at the side of the Japanese cart? Thats where the piece of plastic slides in to prevent the game being pulled out while the Mega Drive is switched on (a very clever and useful device, I must say). To x this, all you have to do is remove the lock on the inside of the Mega Drive by removing the screw that holds it in place. Then screw everything back together, and your Japanese Mega Drive will be able to accept non-Japanese games. NOTE: DO NOT le the game carts themselves! Apart from potentially destroying the game, the cart will look terrible, and is guaranteed to be worthless - no one likes buying led carts.

Congratulations!

You can now play Import Mega Drive games! Simply switch to "60Hz" and "Japanese" for Japanese mode, "60Hz" and "English" for US mode, and "50Hz" and "English" for European mode.
There are many interesting dierences between the European release and the Japanese releases of this game. First, the developers call themselves Technosoft in the Euro version and Tecno Soft in the Japanese version. Secondly, the 100 lives cheat doesnt work in the Japanese version - instead, you start with 0 lives! 4 The following are Sunsoft games: TEL TEL Mahjong, Batman, TEL TEL Baseball Staduim, Shi Kin Joh, Super Fantasy Zone, Lemmings, Flashback and Panorama Cotton.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to make my Mega Drive multi-region?
If you want to play the majority of Japanese (and American) import games, your only options are to either buy a bridge adapter or to perform a hardware modication on your Mega Drive. The former merely allows the Japanese cartridges to t into your Mega Drive, and wont allow you to play all import games (Japanese or American). The latter will allow you to play ANY Mega Drive game, regardless of where it was released.
Why are some Mega Drive games locked out?
In order to answer this question, well have to go through a brief history of the Mega Drive. The Mega Drive was originally released in Japan, then in the USA (with the name changed from Mega Drive to Genesis), and lastly in Europe (where it was called Mega Drive again). Now, Sega was (and still is) split up into three main divisions - Sega Japan, Sega of America, and Sega Europe - and each of these divisions work independently of one another. This means that if European Mega Drive owners had imported all of their games from America, Sega Europe would have made no money, and the Mega Drive would have been discontinued in Europe. With the Mega Drive ocially discontinued in Europe, there would have been no TV ads, no Mega Drive magazines, and no awareness of the Mega Drive for most of the European public. As most games were released in Japan and America before they were released in Europe (and since the games-playing public are a pretty impatient bunch), importing was a popular way of buying games. So Sega introduced the lock-out system.
How does the lock-out system work?
Without going into too much detail, heres a quick outline of the three major gaming territories: Region Japan USA Europe TV Signal 60Hz NTSC 60Hz NTSC 50Hz PAL Language Japanese English English

So a Japanese game could be programmed to run if and only if the console has a Japanese language setting (i.e. Japanese games will only play on a Japanese Mega Drive). Similarly, an American game could be programmed to run if and only if the console has an English language setting AND a 60Hz NTSC signal. Likewise, European games could be programmed to run if and only if the console has an English language setting AND a 50Hz PAL signal.
What is a bridge adapter, how does it work, and why doesnt it allow me to play all import games?
A bridge adapter just acts as a bridge to allow Japanese Mega Drive games to t into a non-Japanese Mega Drive. If you look at a Japanese cartridge, you will see that it is not the same shape as a European or US cartridge. Due to the dierence in shape, a Japanese Mega Drive cartridge will not t into a non-Japanese Mega Drive (unless the cartridge slot is widened). So if a Japanese game has no in-built security, it will play on a non-Japanese Mega Drive provided you can physically t the cart into the slot. As mentioned earlier, though, some games are programmed to recognise the territory of the console on which they are playing, and
so a bridge adapter will only allow you to play some Japanese games. Bridge adapters do NOT make your console play games in 60Hz mode.
What is a Universal Adapter ?
Universal adapters (such as the one released by Datel) are becoming increasingly hard to nd these days, and are often confused with bridge adapters. Like a bridge adapter, the universal adapter is placed between the game and the console. However, a universal adapter will always contain several DIP switches which allow you to select the region of the game you wish to play, and the label on the cartridge will explain which switch settings are to be used for each region. However, a universal adapter does not make a European/Asian Mega Drive output 60Hz.
What about the Game Genie / Pro Action Replay?
Both the Game Genie (Galoob) and the Pro Action Replay (Datel) are cheat cartridges, designed to let the user hack into the game of their choice and alter parameters which control various aspects of the game. This means that such a device can be used, for example, to give the user innite lives, unlimited energy, access to hidden levels, and control of the game speed. Due to the nature of these devices, codes may be "invented" for just about any game, with many bizarre (and game-enhancing) results - such as the ability to execute special moves in mid-air for the Street Fighter II series. The devices use lock-on technology (similar to the bridge adapter and the universal adapter), meaning that the cheat cartridge plugs into the Mega Drive with the game plugged directly on top of the cheat cartridge. As such, both the Game Genie and the various incarnations of the Pro Action Replay may be used as a bridge adapter for foreign games. However, many people have noticed that these devices have a distinct advantage over simple bridge adapters, namely that by entering specic region-free codes an import game can be forced to run on a domestic console. Unfortunately, each game requires a dierent code in order to play in a specic territory, and so there is no universal code which works for all games. Furthermore, I must point out that a large number of games do not currently have region-free codes available for use with cheat cartridges, and that codes are not compatible between dierent devices (i.e. a region-free code which works with the Pro Action Replay will not work with the Game Genie). In short, this option only works if someone has invented a code for the particular game you wish to play and the cheat cartridge you intend to use. However there are a couple of documents in the "Genesis Hardware FAQs" section of GameFAQs which list a large number of region-free game codes, so if you already have one of these devices you should denitely check these out. As in the previous cases, a Game Genie / Pro Action Replay will not make a European Mega Drive output 60Hz.

in the CPU in NTSC MDs running at a slightly faster clock speed, but not so much that youd notice! The frequency is divided by 12 or 15 depending on what the 50/60Hz jumper/pin is set to. This means that if you have a PAL MD set to 60Hz or a NTSC MD set to 50Hz, the colour subcarrier is at the "wrong" frequency (hence you need a RGB SCART cable when playing games at 60Hz on a European MD, otherwise you get a black-and-white picture). None of the above is relevant for the Mega PC, actually (because it doesnt use a composite or RF connection, so doesnt need a colour subcarrier), but I just thought Id mention it :-) -Mike
Why am I experiencing slowdown in 60Hz NTSC mode?
As many gamers will attest, some sections of games are notorious for slowing down when theres a lot of action going on. This is because the CPU cant process the game information quickly enough to run the game at full speed. In 60Hz mode slowdown is generally more prominent than it is in 50Hz mode. European gamers may remember some slowdown when playing (usually when one player loses lots of rings). Well in 60Hz this the game is running faster in the rst place. It is important to not experience more slowdown than an unmodied US Genesis that matter. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in two-player mode slowdown is slightly more noticeable, since note that a modied PAL Mega Drive will or an unmodied Japanese Mega Drive, for
Is there any way to minimise (or, even better, eliminate) slowdown?
Yes, there is a way of doing this. Apparently, Sega underclocked the Motorola 68000 (the Mega Drives core processor) to run at 7.67MHz. The reasons behind this are unknown (possibly to prevent overheating or premature parts failure?), but people have found ways of overclocking the processor to reduce lag and allow even the most slowdown-ridden games to play without a hitch. The Mega Drives processor has been forced to run at speeds of up to 16MHz while maintaining stability (contrary to popular belief, overclocking a Mega Drive does not cause its games to run faster than their intended speed). Note that overclocking will require a separate modication and, for most people, the eort involved isnt really worth it. However, the hobbyists among you should denitely check out Epic Gamings website at http://www.bluespheer.com/host/epicgaming//md oc/ for information on the procedure involved. Please note that overclocking is not covered in this guide and is completely separate from making your Mega Drive multi-region. I cannot answer any questions regarding overclocking - although Im happy to hear from anyone who has successfully overclocked their console.

Can I play locked out European games in 60Hz NTSC mode?
Yes, you can. Once you have performed the modication, set your Mega Drive to 50Hz PAL English mode, and at any time after the SEGA logo has appeared switch the frequency to 60Hz. In most games, you will be able to play the game at its intended speed. In some games, however, the music will be out of sync (PAL Cool Spot, for example) or there will be some graphical glitches at certain points of the game (as in the PAL versions of Alien Soldier, Virtua Racing, Another World and Gunstar Heroes).
I plugged one of my English games into a Japanese Mega Drive, and it now plays in Japanese - why?
Many early Mega Drive games were burned onto what is called a dual-language ROM. Take the European release of Streets of Rage II, for example. If you play it on its intended console (that is, a European Mega Drive) itll work as expected, with all of the text in English. However, plug the exact same cart into a Japanese Mega Drive and youll nd yourself playing Bare Knuckle II, the Japanese version of Streets of Rage II, which has almost all of its text in Japanese (plus a few other cool dierences: "Skate" is renamed "Sammy", Mr X now smokes a cigar on the nal stage. etc). So, how did the same game change languages simply by plugging it into a dierent machine? Because the European release of Streets of Rage II contains exactly the same ROM as the Japanese release, and the game was simply programmed to recognize a European machine from a Japanese one - the console determines which version of the game is run. So someone living in the UK could buy Bare Knuckle II, plug it into their European PAL Mega Drive (after the appropriate cartridge slot modication), and it would magically play in English. Other games which feature this characteristic include Quackshot, GhoulsN Ghosts and Gauntlet IV. Note that the console does not translate anything; sort of like a magic act, the trick was carried out well before anyone knew what to look for - in this case, the trick was performed at the factory where the ROM was burned. Another interesting point is that the dual-language in Streets of Rage II only works between European and Japanese consoles (when set to US mode, the European release of Streets of Rage II gives the usual message explaining that you need either a PAL or a Japanese Mega Drive).
Which games use lock-out technology?
Any game released prior to 1992 will run on a Mega Drive of any region. However, there is no easy way of determining which import games released during and after 1992 are playable on a domestic console. To add even more confusion, just because a game is region-free in one territory does not mean that it is unprotected in another - for example, the US release of some games will play on any [unmodied] console, whilst the corresponding European release may only run on a European Mega Drive (and so on). This means that the only way of being sure of which games are locked out is to test each one. The "Territory Lock-out List" on the "Genesis Hardware FAQs" section of GameFAQs attempts to list which games contain a territory lock-out, and is worth checking out.

disc surrounding the cartridge slot and an "EXT" port on the back are the only ones which might not display the licensing screen (unfortunately, the last batch of consoles to use this "old-style" case also included a license-test). If anyone knows a better method of identifying license-free machines, please let me know.
My modied Mega Drive / Genesis has slightly dierent jumper connections to those outlined in the guide, yet it still works. Why?
The guide is based around the way I modied my Mega Drive - and the set-up shown will work when applied to a Mega Drive of any region (US, Europe, or Japan). However, there are slightly dierent set-ups that also work perfectly well. Galen Tatsuo Komatsu neatly demonstrates this using his modied Genesis. The console was modied in such a way that it has one switch for each jumper, and after a couple of tests he came up with the following tables:

Language

JP1 open open closed closed JP2 open closed open closed output English English Japanese *short*

50Hz/60Hz

JP3 open open closed closed JP4 open closed open closed output 60Hz 60Hz 50Hz *short*
As you can see, selecting two conicting states simultaneously (i.e. "English and Japanese" or "50Hz and 60Hz") results in the power line being connected directly to the ground line and the console fails to power up. It is also worth pointing out that "English" and "60Hz" appear to be the dominant settings. So on this console we could have wired it such that our language switch connects across JP1 when switched to one position, and is open when icked to the other. Referring to the diagram in Section 2.3 we could have, for example, "1" wired to the middle connection, "2" wired to the right connection, and leave the left connection open. Similarly, our 50Hz/60Hz switch could have been wired such that we have JP3 closed in one position, and open in the other. I believe the modication would have also worked if we had used "1" and "7" as the central connections for our language and frequency switches respectively, since "1" is soldered to "3", and "5" to "7" on the backside of the board. NOTE: I strongly recommend you stick to the original settings used in Section 2, as these have been thoroughly checked and better explained.

Why are the printed traces on my Genesis dierent from the "US" setting shown in the guide?
The printed traces on a US Genesis go across JP2 and JP4 (thats 3-4 and 7-8 in the diagram). As explained in the above answer, points "5" and "7" are are already connected - so end result is the same. In short, just stick to the guide and youll be ne! For the record, the printed traces on a PAL Mega Drive go across JP2 and JP3, and on a Japanese Mega Drive they go across JP1 and JP4.
On my board, JP1 and JP2 are in a dierent area from JP3 and JP4. How do I modify this console?
This will not aect the modication procedure. JP1 and JP2 control the language of the console, and work independently of JP3 and JP4 (which control the output frequency [50/60]Hz). So instead of wiring both switches to the lower-right section of the circuit board, simply wire one switch to the section in which JP1 and JP2 are located, and the other to the area in which JP3 and JP4 are located.
My board has a capacitor across one of the four jumpers. How do I proceed?
On some of the older boards you may nd a capacitor on one jumper (usually one of the language jumpers). If you have a capacitor here, note that it is on the unused jumper for your consoles region - for example, on an English-language console the capacitor will be across JP1. It has been determined that this serves no purpose, and so its completely safe to de-solder the capacitor at either end (i.e. remove it). You can now use Section 2 of this guide to modify your console. NOTE: Thanks to Carlo Savorelli and Lorenzo Nocentini for risking their Mega Drive to verify this.
Does modifying my console allow me to play any Sega/Mega CD game?
As far as unmodied consoles go, you cannot pick and mix Sega/Mega CD and Genesis/Mega Drive systems. A US Genesis will only work with a US Sega CD. The Sega CD (US version of the Mega CD) needs a US Genesis in order to function - it simply wont work with a foreign console. Of course, with switches installed on your base Mega Drive (or Genesis) you can get round this by switching to US-mode before loading a Sega CD game. As for playing Mega CD (that is, European or Japanese) games on a US Sega CD, you need a converter cartridge such as the Pro CD-X released by Datel in the UK. This plugs into the cartridge slot of your system, allowing games from the selected region to play on your Sega CD - you dont need switches on your system to play Jap CD games if youre using a US Sega CD. The downside? You cant have a back-up RAM cart and an import converter in your system at the same time - so games that rely on a RAM cart, like Japanese Shining Force CD, are pretty much out of the question. Note that you cant switch your Mega Drive to Japanese mode to play a Japanese CD game on your US Sega CD, as the two systems would think they are from dierent regions - and the Sega CD wouldnt work. You need an adapter to force two systems from dierent regions to work with one another. If you live in Europe and wish to play import CD games on your European Mega CD, youve got an extra hurdle to overcome - namely the dreaded 50/60Hz problem. When you load an import game using the Datel adapter on a European Mega CD, things generally work OK until you reach FMV-heavy sections of the game (in fact, the CD audio works independently of the game speed, and so all CD audio will be out-of-sync with the graphics). Now I havent tried this myself (as I dont have a Mega CD), but I believe it should be possible to play imports on a modied European Mega Drive by switching to 60Hz, plugging in the Pro CD-X adapter, and then loading the import you wish to play. Alternatively, you can obtain the so-called "switchable MultiBIOS" for your Mega/Sega CD. You swap your current CD BIOS with this MultiBIOS and install the appropriate switches, allowing you to play import CD games on your system without the need for an adapter. For more information, check out Arakons guide, available at http://arakon.hn.org/tutorial/bios.html.

Are there any guides for modifying a Mega Drive / Genesis mark 2, a Nomad, or a Genesis 3?
I have not written any guides for these variants, and I have no intention to do so. The reason for this is simple: I have never modied any of these consoles myself! However, there are a couple of useful guides you might want to check out on the internet. For the Mega Drive 2 and the Genesis 3, see Mike Gs guides, available from: http://www.mikeg2.freeserve.co.uk/masterful/md2lang.html http://www.mikeg2.freeserve.co.uk/masterful/md2new.html A guide for modifying a Sega Nomad is available at the following URL: http://www.gamesx.com/importmod/gen2nomadbutton.htm As previously stated, I have not attempted any of these modications myself, so Im afraid that I cannot give any help/clarication for any aspects of these guides.
Recommended Japanese Import Games
Since Japanese games are somewhat hard to come by, and since information on them is scarce at the best of times, Ill list ten excellent Japanese Mega Drive games you should check out - easily enough to get you started. 1. Monster World IV 2. Langrisser II 3. Vixen 357 4. Yuu Yuu Hakusho: Makyo Toitsusen (the Treasure one!) 5. Magical Taluluto-Kun 6. Flaming Dodgeball Kid 7. Puyo Puyo 8. Twinkle Tale 9. Lord Monarch 10. Dyna Brothers 2 Im warning you now that Japanese Mega Drive games tend to be a tad pricey (the most expensive can go for up to $200+), simply due to their rarity (Alien Soldier and Rockman are prime examples), but in general Japanese games are worth forking out for. After all, most still sell for around $5-$10 and for this you get a beautiful full-colour manual complete with manga sketches - you just have to see one to believe how exquisite the layout and artwork are! Buy Magical Taluluto-Kun and youll see what I mean - beautiful 17
manual, fantastic game (only released in Japan, by the way), and also pretty cheap if you can nd it. I import all my games from Japan if I can, unless its absolutely essential to be able to read the language in order to progress through the game. I have to make a special mention here for two of my all-time favourite Import Mega Drive games - Monster World IV and Langrisser 2. The former is a continuation of the Monster World saga (referred to as Wonder Boy outside Japan), which is easily one of the best games on the Mega Drive - atmospheric, graphically among the best Ive ever seen, and one of the only games Ive played where I really felt attached to the characters. The second is the sequel to a game which was released in the Sates as Warsong. While the original was a pioneer of turn-based strategy games (and still one of the best, might I add), the sequel is easily the best of its kind, with vastly improved graphics, a much better game engine, great music and cunning AI (Langrisser 2 was, incidentally, voted #3 in an all-time Mega Drive game poll in Japan). Anyone whos a fan of the Shining Force games will love it. Both Monster World IV and Langrisser 2 were criminally never released outside Japan - two of the many unusual decisions Sega made in the past. But never mind, neither are too expensive and thankfully there are text translations on the internet for both (although it is possible to comfortably work your way through the games without any Japanese knowledge).

Credits

SEGA Enterprises, Ltd.

http://www.sega.com

Manufacturers of my favourite games console of all time, the Mega Drive. Without Sega, this guide would not exist!

Apple Computer, Inc.

http://www.apple.com
Computer manufacturer, developer of Mac OS X. This guide was written on an Apple Powerbook G4 running Mac OS X.
TEXShop http://www.uoregon.edu/koch/texshop A Frontend for the powerful LTEX typesetting system, primarily used for scientic document typesetting.

Eidolons Inn

http://www.eidolons-inn.net
Site devoted to the classic Sega consoles. The Tavern message board in particular was an invaluable source of information during the compilation of this guide.

GoogleTM Groups

http://groups.google.com
A complete archive of every Usenet post since 1981. The alt.sega.genesis newsgroup was used to discuss many aspects of Mega Drive modication.

GameFAQs

http://www.gamefaqs.com
Home of numerous useful Mega Drive documents which were consulted throughout the evolution of this guide. The Genesis message board raised some of the questions included in the FAQ section of this guide.

Special Thanks.

THANKS!
Mike G, Galen Tatsuo Komatsu, Flavio, |Ray| (Arakon), Eidolon, Dark Grue, Samudra, Amano Jacu, Carlo Savorelli, Lorenzo Nocentini and everyone else that has contributed to this guide. I couldnt have done it without you guys thanks!

Disclaimer

This guide has been checked and double checked. To the best of my knowledge, all of the information given here is correct. However, I am not responsible for any damage which results form the [mis]use of this guide. If you have any questions or wish to point out any typos, please contact me via Email. One of the reasons for me writing this guide was because I found it dicult to obtain thorough, reliable information on Mega Drive modications - so I encourage you to distribute this document as much as you want, using any methods you see t (e.g. through websites, le-sharing programs, message boards,. etc.), so that others can have an easier time nding it. Finally, and most importantly, if you feel that you should be credited for any part of this guide, please Email me and you will be added to the "Credits" section in any future releases. Thanks!

Name Star wars Jedi Power Battle HDR das dritte Zeitalter HDR die Rckkehr des Knigs Van Helsing Penny Racers GT Advance Championship Racing GT 3 Advance Pro Concept Racing Yu-Gi-Oh! Die Heiligen Karten Yu-Gi-Oh! Reschef der Zerstrer Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship Tournament 2004 Pokemon Blattgrn Edition Pokemon Rubin Edition Shining Soul Shining Force Auferstehung des Schwarzen Drachen Fire Emblem Golden Sun Die vergessene Epoche Golden Sun Pokemon Gelbe Edition Pokemon Blaue Edition Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition Need for Speed Underground 2 HDR Die Rckkehr des Knigs Pinobee Wings of Adventure Dragon Quest Monsters Narnia Der Knig von Narnia Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance Dragonball Z Das Erbe von Goku II Dragonball Z Das Erbe von Goku Advance Wars 2 Black Hole Rising Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories Harvest Moon Friends of Mineral Town HDR Die zwei Trme Pokemon Rot Spider-Man Pokemon Trading Card Game Lego Racers Yu-Gi-Oh! Das Dunkle Duell Pokemon Crystal Edition Pokemon Silberne Edition Pokemon Goldene Edition Pokemon Saphir Edition Fire Emblem The Sacred Stones Pokemon Smaragd Edition Final Fantasy IV Advance Final Fantasy V Advance Final Fantasy I & II Dawn of Souls F-Zero jap Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core Blade Dancer Warhammer 40.000 Squad Command God of War Chains of Olympus Breath of Fire III Might & Magic Clash of Heros Children of Mana
System GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GB GB GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBC GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GB GBA GBC GBC GBC GBC GBC GBC GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA GBA PSP PSP PSP PSP PSP DS DS
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Suikoden Tierkreis Rune Factory Dragon Quest Monsters - Joker Final Fantasy IX US-Version Digimon World 2003 Final Fantasy Origins Mega Man X3 Final Fantasy VII Thunder Force V Japanische Version Tales of Destiny II US-Version Destruction Derby II Saiyuki Journey West US-Version Dragon Quest Die Reise des verwunschenen Knigs Platinum Dragon Quest Die Reise des verwunschenen Knigs Lsungsbuch Boktai Batman The Animated Series Turtles II Back from the Sewers Wizards & Warriors X Fortress of Fear Battletoads in Ragnaroks World Batman Return of the Joker Mega Man Dr. Wilys Rache Terminator 2 Turtles Fall of the Foot Clan The Sword of Hope Earthworm Jim Nemesis The King of Fighters Heart of Battles Quest for Chamelot Daffy Duck The Lion King Star Wars Yoda Stories Pocket Bomber Man Ducktales Gargoyles Holy Magic Century Dragon Quest Die Hand der Himmelsbraut Dragon Quest Monsters - Joker Sword of Mana Final Fantasy Mystic Quest US-Version Illusion of Gaia US-Version Lufia US-Version Nintendo 64 Lila Tales of Destiny II Lsungsbuch US-Version PS2 Memory Karte 8MB PS2 Memory Karte 8MB Gamecube Memory Karte 59 Block Gamecube Memory Karte 59 Block PS1 Memory Karte Gamecube Memory Karte 251 Block Gamecube Memory Karte No Name Gamecube Gameboy Player Pokemon Colosseum Luigis Mansion Spiderman 2 Mario Party 7
DS DS DS PS1 PS1 PS1 PS1 PS1 PS1 PS1 PS1 PS1 PS2 BOOK GBA GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB GB N64 DS DS GBA SNES SNES SNES Konsole BOOK
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Mario Party 5 Beyblade Vforce WWE Day of Reckoning Super Smash Bros Melee Mario Smash Football Sega Saturn Multinorm Umbau Shining Force III Shining Wisdom Deep Fear Primal Rage Iron Man X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal Mystaria Resident Evil Panzer Dragoon II jap Lunar jap Mega Drive 1 Jap. Multinorm Mega Drive Arcade Stick 3-Button Mega Drive Arcade Stick 3-Button Mega Drive Control Pad Golden Axe Jap. Golden Axe II US Ghouls n Ghosts Mega Bomberman Streets of Rage US Sword of Vermillion inkl. Hintbook US Shining in the Darkness US The Story of Thor Light Crusader EA Hockey Ghostbusters Captain America and the Avengers Castle of Illusion JAP Mazin Wars Aladdin Dungeons & Dragons Warriors of the Eternal Sun World Cup Soccer JAP Herzog Zwei Solail Turtles Tournament Fighters Landstalker Phantasy Star II inkl. Hintbook Phantasy Star III inkl. Hintbook US Phantasy Star IV US Shining Force I Shining Force III Shining Force CD Pal Fatal Fury CD Gameboy Advance jap Gameboy Advance SP Gameboy Pocket Blau Gameboy Color Project Gotham Racing 2 Wrath Unleashed King Kong Crimson Skies Forza Motorsports
GC GC GC GC GC Konsole Saturn Saturn Saturn Saturn Saturn Saturn Saturn Saturn Saturn Konsole Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega Drive Mega CD Mega CD Konsole Konsole Konsole Konsole Xbox Xbox Xbox Xbox Xbox

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Jade Empire Limited Edition Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance 2 Dungeons & Dragons Heroes Tao Feng Oddworld Strangers Vergeltung Armed and Dangerous Kung Fu Chaos The Bards Tale Metropolis Street Racer Disney Magical Racing Tour Super Runabout Vanishing Point V-Rally 2 Sword of Berserk Guts Rage Fighting Vipers 2 Virtua Fighter 3th Dead or Alive 2 ChuChu Rocket Alone in the Dark Silver Knights of the Round US Arcania US Might & Magic US Super Bomberman Lemmings Super Mario Kart Super Mario World F-Zero Super Nintendo Super A/V Kabel SNES Super Nintendo Controller Playstation 2 Fat Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec Gran Turismo 4 Heroes of Might and Magic Phantom Brave Dark Chronicle Arc: Twilight of the Spirits Silpheed Final Fantasy XII Action Replay Gran Turismo 4 Champions of Norrath Dynasty Warriors 5 War of the Monsters Rogue Galaxy Ar2 V2 Modul Final Fantasy XII Lsungsbuch Limited Edition Saturn Handbuch SNES Game Converter SNES Universal Adapter Master System Converter Mega Drive Xbox Konsole Game Gear AsciiPad AsciiPad
Xbox Xbox Xbox Xbox Xbox Xbox Xbox Xbox Xbox Dreamcast Dreamcast Dreamcast Dreamcast Dreamcast Dreamcast Dreamcast Dreamcast Dreamcast Dreamcast Dreamcast Dreamcast SNES SNES SNES SNES SNES SNES SNES SNES Konsole SNES SNES Konsole PS2 PS2 PS2 PS2 PS2 PS2 PS2 PS2 PS2 PS2 PS2 PS2 PS2 PS2 BOOK BOOK SNES SNES Mega Drive Konsole Konsole SNES SNES
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